2013

Developing local agricultural production in Eritrea through land irrigation

Eritrea

Titre : Developing local agricultural production in Eritrea through land irrigation

Pays : Eritrea

Durée : 4 June 2013 - 3 June 2015

Contexte Over two thirds of Eritreans work in agriculture, but with the scarce yearly rainfall having become ever more unpredictable, reliance on rain-fed agriculture is increasingly precarious. Deforestation has reached a critical rate, leading to limited water retention capacity of soils and thus a significant decrease in the availability of water for irrigation. Soil erosion and declining soil fertility are also major problems. Due to the lack of modern and mechanised tools, there was a need to invest in better techniques and a move towards irrigated agriculture to allow for year-round farming.

Objectif To substantially increase agricultural production in Eritrea through the construction of dams, hillside terraces and irrigation structures within the framework of government policies.

Results * A total of 400,000 Eritrean farmers benefit from the EU support to agriculture.
* 6 million tree seedlings are being produced and planted to tackle the problem of deforestation.
* More than 1,000 ha of land will be irrigated with solar-driven pumps, gravity irrigation and hand dug wells benefiting from a recharge of the water tables.
* Soil and water conservation activities in Eritrea are implemented on an area of around 20,000 ha.